I am the founder and Executive Chef of Altiro group which currently comprises three restaurants in Illinois: Altiro Latin Fusion, Geneva; Altiro Latin Fusion, Wheaton; and Altiro Latin Fusion and Coffee Shop, Aurora.
I was born and raised in Mexico City where I also met and married the love of my life. Together, we have two beautiful children who are my pride and joy.
At a young age, my passion for soccer led me to enjoy and play the sport professionally, which unknowingly provided the tools, discipline, and learning I would need later to pursue my next passion.
That discipline, combined with my life experiences, has undoubtedly marked the rest of my life, and served me well when years later I had the opportunity to emigrate to the United States to pursue new dreams. It was something completely new and challenging: a new country whose language and culture I did not know. Motivated by my family, we began our new story in the Chicago suburbs.
Learning not to give up and always give my best, I found a new passion for cooking and the restaurant industry. It began with endless hours of washing dishes and making salads. Regardless of the language barrier, I was determined, with a lot of love and faith, to someday be the owner of my own restaurant.
Every day I learned something new, I learned very quickly, and never went a day without working. I quickly escalated my positions in the restaurants I worked at. I loved working hard, learning, and dreaming of plans for the future of having our own family business. Plans which I frequently shared with my family. I can still see their smiling faces and hear their giggles as I shared the same story over and over again.
My dream, which became our dream, little by little came true. It was the product of days full of much prayer, faith, and persistence, never giving up. Family was the key in making this dream happen. My wife is always supporting me, and together, we walk this new adventure’s path. We were also blessed with the support of great people who believed in our dream.
The night before the grand opening of our first location in Geneva, sadly, we lost a special soul. My wife’s mother had been ill, but always motivated us to continue pursuing our dream. She was waiting for the soft opening of our restaurant to take place and be successful. Once she got the phone call that the evening had been a great success, she said she was ready to go, knowing that what we had worked hard for, and were ready for a promising future. She passed away peacefully that night. We had our official grand opening the morning after. Her strength and love, without a doubt, gave us the strength to move forward.
Today, Altiro Latin Fusion has become a wonderful place to share beautiful moments with family and friends. A place that without the support of all of you who have visited and tasted each dish I prepare with so much love, would not be possible. Without God’s help, and the support of family, mentors, and friends we could not have gotten this far.
Thanks to God and to all of you, my dream continues to be a reality.
